Serenissa Silvermist
"To the night elves, who have lost their hopes, I give forth the ability to Dream again. To Dream, to Imagine, for in that is the best hope of rebuilding, of recovering, of growing. And to those who follow the path of one held special by me, I grant the druids to come the path into the Emerald Dream, where, even in their deepest sleep, they may cross the world, learn from it, and draw upon its own strength... the better to guide Kalimdor's health and safety throughout the future." —Ysera the Dreamer Serenissa Silvermist is among the numerous collected aliases of Serenissima, an enigmatic emerald dragon currently in reluctant exile from the Emerald Dream. The daughter of an ancient lieutenant and esteemed scryer, Serenissima's prestigious lineage stretches to the origins of the noble Green Dragonflight itself. Trained extensively in restoration, her healing abilities remain unparalleled and finely treasured. While having participated in several conflicts across Azeroth under the command of Ysera the Dreamer, Serenissima remains largely pacifistic and has retreated from mortal affairs on numerous occasions, preferring to stay neutral. Presently disguised as a young Elven gardener in the employ of the Royal Horticultural Society of Stormwind, Serenissima has pledged her current allegiances to the Grand Alliance. Currently she holds permanent residence in Astranaar, Ashenvale, as well as semi-permanent residence in Stormwind City. Appearances Serenissima has taken numerous forms over the centuries, typically favoring various elven Quel'dorei and Sin'dorei forms, but her current guise holds the appearance of a young Ren'dorei woman. Due to her estrangement from the current Horde's leadership and recent defection to the Alliance, she found donning the form of an exiled Ren'dorei more meaningful (and convenient) than assuming another Quel'dorei identity. Her skin appears pale lavender and her emerald hair falls to her waist, perpetually adorned with numerous poppies and primroses-- her favorite flowers most frequently used in dream potions. Often such flowers would seem perpetually wilted or wrinkled, giving her the curious appearance of a dying dandelion. Despite their supposed wilting, rarely is she seen without flowers weaved throughout her hair. Like most emerald dragons, her eyes are rarely opened beyond a sleepy, half-lidded gaze. Many strangers would automatically assume idle drunkenness or thistle addiction. Despite this, one can always notice her pupils moving constantly below her eyelids. When opened on rare occasions, her silver eyes seem prominently protuberant, lending themselves to a permanently surprised appearance. ] In her natural form, she appears as an elegant emerald drake with shimmering scales, all shining with multiple facets. She possesses twin spiral horns twisted with deep grooves, while also having a more sleek and serpentine appearance than her fellow drakes, and has several featherlike spines down her back. In this form, her eyes appear not silver, but a deep emerald, glowing with nature magic. Her wings appear more featherlike than reptilian and hold the span of several full-grown men, despite her relative smallness compared to the average drake. Along their webbing are several twisted pockmarked scars, being remnants of past wasting illnesses and fevers as a whelpling. Biography Ancestral Lineage and Birth Born in early springtime to the esteemed Lord Morpheus and his consort Lysira, Serenissima was considered rather small and unhealthy compared to other whelplings. Lord Morpheus was among the first beloved children of the Dream Mother Ysera, a noble and respected lieutenant of his queen’s forces, and Lysira was known for her prophetic dream scrying abilities, a rare gift among the Emerald Flight. For several hundred years, their large brood expanded with numerous healthy offspring. Their children were considered finely gifted, holding talents in restorative healing or leadership in martial tactics. Each was whispered to hold great destinies of immense renown and significance, save for their final whelpling. Named for her maternal grandmother, the whelpling Serenissima was born with broken wings, an ominous complication that would nearly cost her life. Prone to frequent bouts of wasting illness, along with poor coordination and weak muscle composition, the whelpling was expected to pass sometime within her first decade-- a morbid expectation she managed to defy, much to the surprise of her skeptical siblings. War of the Shifting Sands During the War of the Shifting Sands, the Green Dragonflight lent their forces to the Kaldorei resistence, fighting furiously against the Silithid and their Qiraji masters. Their contribution of aid, alongside the efforts of the Red, Blue, and Bronze Flights, helped turn the tide of the doomed war. Lord Morpheus personally led several aerial attacks on the ancient fortress, winning several decisive battles and securing valuable victories for the allied campaign. Overall, the Flights suffered few casualties in their aid, but several among the Green Dragonflight were believed to be lost. Lord Morpheus was presumed deceased after several months, having charged deep within Ahn'Qiraj during the final assault. While his memory was henceforth remembered with the greatest of laurels among dragonkind, Lysira deeply mourned the loss of her mate and never quite seemed the same henceforth. Growing pale and withdrawn, the green matron retreated inwards to her memories. Serenissima's few memories of her father were deeply treasured. Growing up in awe of her father's noble legacy, among her most favorite of stories were recounts of Lord Morpheus' heroic deeds. One day, she aspired to live up to such lofty ideals and bring honor to his memories. First War of the Nightmare ''' Several hundred years passed with relative peace, and Serenissima grew into a skilled drake, fully devoted to the caretaking of the Emerald Dream. As the Emerald Nightmare stirred and threatened the existence of the Dream, younger dragons (including littler drakes, newborn whelplings, and sickly children) were carefully concealed from Lord Xavius’ forces, who sought to corrupt the Flight itself. Despite the Green Flight's best efforts, the pervasive corruption of the Nightmare proved impossible to destroy fully, and slowly the ethereal dreamscape fell into terrible darkness. These years were marked with pervading fear and paranoia, as thousands of Emerald forces fell to the Nightmare. Distrust was rampant, as many sought refuge among the other Flights or retreated to the mortal world, casting aside their identities as caretakers. Though eventually the Emerald Dragonflight emerged victorious, it was a pyrrhic victory with heavy losses to the corrosive powers of the Nightmare. Among the deceased was Lysira, who fell into a crazed madness following the Nightmare's spread, as her own memories tortured her incessantly. Ultimately, it took several of Serenissima's older siblings to bring the broodmother down. In her last moments before passing, she was able to find relative peace and the misery within her soul quieted. Serenissima would remember this time of mourning with distinct regret, believing she didn't do enough to aid her mother. '''Exile in Quel'thalas In the short years that followed the Lich King’s defeat, the corrupting forces of the pervading Nightmare intensified, devastating the Emerald Flight. Beings of all races, dragon and mortals alike, became the Unwaking, trapped in their own horrifying dreams. ] During this time, Serenissima escaped from the Emerald Dream and hid among mortals for the first time. Taking the guise of a young Sin’dorei herbalist under the pseudonym of ‘Miriala Moonwillow’, Serenissima discovered the beautiful forests of Eversong and fell deeply in love with Sin’dorei culture. Living in a little cottage deep within the woods, she made close friends of the local Farstriders and enjoyed relative obscurity. This quiet existence would be fondly remembered as among the happiest and simpler times of her life. It was with great reluctance that she eventually returned to her duties in the Emerald Dream following the first Nightmare War, but Silvermoon always remained dearly close to her heart. Invasion of the Burning Legion Upon the third Invasion of the Burning Legion, Serenissima was among those young drakes narrowly avoiding corruption by the renewed Nightmare. Witnessing the tragic deaths of several of her clutchmates, Serenissima escaped the Dream in unwanted exile, taking refuge deep within the forests of Darkshore and cutting herself off from Dreaming. For years, she was undetected by Nightmare forces, refusing to use her scrying abilities or natural powers. She disguised herself as a Kaldorei, henceforth known as ‘Mirianeth Rainwhisper’, and wandered the lands as a traveling herbalist. For some time, she enjoyed quiet obscurity, spending her days creating healing elixars and bandages for local villagers. This peace was eventually disturbed by the forces of Nightmare--satyrs, intent on hunting down the remaining children of the Dream, nearly captured her. It was this traumatic and narrow escape that made her turn towards Silvermoon once more, returning back to her beloved Eversong Forest. She began living once more among the Sin’dorei people, taking the name of ‘Serenissa Silvermist’-- all was well for several years, as she slowly built another life for herself. Once more, she reached out to her Farstrider friends, who couldn't recognize her under a new identity, and once again rebuilt those friendships. But once again, her identity was discovered by treacherous pirates, who sought to harness her prophetic powers for themselves. Furthermore, the growing cruelties of the Horde became too much to ignore under Warchief Sylvanas, particularly the war crimes of the Forsaken. Hateful racism hurled towards newfound allies to the Horde (particularly the Nightborne) made her reconsider her loyalties-- eventually, Serenissima could no longer recognize her beloved Sin’dorei as the proud, resilient people she grew so fond of. It was with a heavy heart that Serenissima escaped the Horde and disguised herself once more-- this time, as a Ren’dorei exile from Silvermoon, pledging herself in service to the Alliance. It felt more meaningful to disguise herself as a Sin'dorei exile to the Alliance, rather than a Quel'dorei who betrayed their original people. Taking the name of ‘Serenissa Silvermist’, the green dragon fiercely guards her precious secret and finds comfort in the quiet forests of Kalimdor, though her heart still longs for the eternal springtime of Eversong. Relationships Kapkarion, Prince of the Black Dragonflight ] During the Pandaria Campaign, Serenissima found contemplative solace within the beautiful Jade Forest. Here was an untouched land, existing in perfect harmony with nature. While she studied traditional herbal medicine under the healers of the Arboretum, she found an unlikely ally in the form of a Pandaren, known as Hei Baojing. She soon discovered this was the adopted pseudonym of Kapkarion, a particularly bad-tempered Ebon dragon. During the War of the Ancients, Kapkarion fought against the invading forces of the Burning Legion, but had become trapped on Pandaria following the creation of the isolated mists. For ten thousand years, he hid among the local populations as a wandering meditative monk, remaining relatively free of the corrupting insanity that corrupted his kin. Their friendship soon blossomed into love and soon they were inseparable, delighting in each other's company. During this brief time, Serenissima temporarily adopted a Pandaren identity as well, known as Diaochan Qingshi. Though their happiness living in a quiet fishing village seemed blissfully perfect, soon Serenissima was forced to leave behind her beloved and return to the Emerald Dream. In turn, Kapkarion fell into a deep hibernating sleep in the caves beneath Krasari Falls. While she frequently visited his dreams initially, eventually their short-lived romance faded and they parted on good terms. Still, she holds distinct fondness for him and looks forwards to the day of their reunion. Possessions Staff of the Serpent Among her most prized possessions is a walking stick acquired from the Jade Forest, carved from hazel driftwood. The staff itself is shaped in the likeness of an emerald serpent, embedded with shimmering jeweled eyes that seem to follow the movements of an unwary observer. Trivia Serenissima considers willow trees to be among her favorites and frequently plants seedlings along riverbanks and lakesides-- regardless of previously existing horticultural codes. This has led to frequent bickering with the local law enforcement of Stormwind, as willow trees tend to grow quite rapidly. ] Being the last of her clutch to learn flying, Serenissima flies surprisingly little for a dragon. However, her abilities in swimming do well to make up for the fact, and she often spends time along the coastlines, enjoying discovering tidepools and hidden grottos. She collects sea glass and driftwood, frequently using both in weaving enchanted Dreamcatchers. Because mortal life still is quite new to her, Serenissima has a tendency to frequently consume odder foods, delighting in the new tastes and sensations afforded to her. She has been known to eat grass, leaves, and on one occasion, an entire tree branch. External Links Serenissa's Armory Page Category:Alliance Category:Horde Category:Dragon Category:Night Elf Category:Characters